Ventilated buffing wheel



Jam. 14, 1936. w HALL VENTILATED BUFFING WHEEL Filed Aug. 9, 1935 .8.Fig.4.

lnvenToT. Elisha W. HoH

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by kW ATTys.

Patented Jan. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENTILATED BUFFINGWHEEL Elisha Winthrop Hall, Scituate, Mass.

Application August 9, 1935, Serial No. 35,498

7 Claims.

for delivering currents of air from the central 1 portion of the 'wheeloutwardly to the periphery thereof during the revolution of the wheel.

In the use of bufling wheels for finishing and/ or polishing articlesthe bufiing wheel is rotated at a very high speed and the work forcedagainst it by the operator with such pressure as may be required toproduce the desired result. A suitable abradant or polishing materialusually intermingled with a suitable carrying vehicle, such as alubricant, usually is applied to the periphery of the wheel. Thefriction produced by the contact of the rapidly rotating periphery ofthewheel with the work produces very considerable heat which in someinstances is suflicient to char the fibres of the buffing material atthe periphery of the wheel and in some instances will cause the materialof the bufling wheel to burst into flames, as the bufiing material isusually of cotton cloth or other combustible material. i I am awarethatheretofore attempts have been made to provide means for coolingbuffing wheels by circulation of air between the sections of the buflingwheels by mounting the bufling wheel sections upon a hollow shaft havinga port or 30 ports leading to the spaces between the sections of thebufling wheel, as disclosed in the'patent to Zucker No. 1,573,961, butin such constructions the sections of the builing wheel are so closelyclamped together between collars upon of air is permitted to accomplishthe desired result.

I am also aware that the cooling of the wheel has been accomplished bymeans disclosed in the patent to Myers and Murray No. 1,922,108 in whichthe buffing wheel comprises a series of annular buffing units which aregathered at their inner edges to produce radially extending folds orridges, the inner circumference of the annular bufling strips being heldby a ring-shaped metal the shaft that no sufiiciently rapid circulationaction is discharged between the sections at the periphery of thebuffing wheel.

This construction is objectionable for several reasons. The apertures inthe buffing material necessarily limit the extent of use of the bufiingwheel as when it is worn down to the apertures .the defects inherent insuch bufling wheels and which will permit a sufiiciently freecirculation thereof properly to cool the bufling wheel. This isaccomplished in the present invention by providing a bufiing wheelformed of a plurality of bufilng units having hubs of rigid materialprovided with alined apertures, with separator plates interposed betweenadjacent bufiing units having slots communicating with said aperturesand extending through the periphery of the separator plates operablewhen the wheel is rotated at a high speed to permit air to be drawn intothe apertures in the hubs and to be ejected therefrom through theslotsfinto the spaces'between the adjacent units from which it escapesat the periphery of the wheel.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in

which,

Fig. 1 is an endview of the bufiing wheel assembly showing the preferredform of separator plate, the arbor upon which the bufilng'wheel ismounted being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a diametrical sectional view on line 2-2 Fig. 1 of theassembled bufiing wheel shown in Fig. 1 including the clamping headshaving apertures communicating with the apertures in the hubs of thebufling units, the arbor being shown in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a detail 'diametrical sectional view of one form of separatorplates;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view on line 4-4 Fig. 1, showingthe spheroidaldistortions in the separator plate adapted to be embeddedunder pressure in the hub of an adjacent unit; and, Y

Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig.4 illustrating the use of a plurality ofseparator plates for spacing the bufling units more widely apart.

The bufiing wheel illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a plurality,four being shown, of bufiing units assembled upon an arbor withseparator plates between adjacent units and all clamped together uponthe arbor of the buffing machine. Each of the buffing units comprises acylindrical rigid hub I of any suitable thickness and any suitablematerial, such as fibreboard, wood, hardened plastic material, etc.,having a central aperture which fits tightly upon the arbor.2 of thebufling machine.

The buffing material comprises a plurality of layers 3 of cloth whichmay be in the form of disks, but which preferably are bands gathered attheir inner edges to fit upon the hub l and which are firmly securedthereto in any desired manner. Preferably the layers of bufling materialare gathered upon the hub in the manner disclosed in my copendingapplication Serial Number 30,885, filed July 11, 1935, by providing twoannular bands of superimposed layers of cloth, the bands being united byoveredge or jump stitching and gathered by a suitable tension, such as awire encircling the lines of stitching, and drawing the same upon thehub or a suitable mandrel, the layers of cloth being thereby broughtinto radial relation to the wheel, stitched together, and the tensionmember then removed.

The layers of bufling material are united by a preferably circular lineof stitching 4 which extends through the layers of buiiing material andthrough fibrous anchoring disks 5. Desirably the anchoring layers aresecured to the hub by a circular line of stitching 6, and protectivedisks 1, of canvas, are secured by a suitable adhesive to the anchoringdisks 5. The hubs of the buffing units are provided with alinedapertures 8 which also extend through the anchoring and protectivedisks.

The bufling units thus constructed are assembled upon the arbor 2 withseparator plates 9 interposed between the adjacent bufling units.

The bufling units thus assembled are clamped between suitable metallicheads or collars I0 and II, the collar I0 preferably abutting against ashoulder I2 upon an enlarged portion of the shaft, the collar I I beingforced toward the collar III by a nut I3 mounted upon the screw threadedend of the shaft. The'collars I0 and II are provided with apertures l4and I5 which register with the apertures 8 in the hubs of the buffingwheels.

The separator plates may be of any desired thickness and of any suitablematerial. Preferably the separator plates are formed of thin toughsteel, approximately 3%" in thickness, and are provided with slots I6which communicate at their inner ends with the apertures 8 in the bud--ing units and extend through the periphery of the separator plates. Theslots in the separator plates desirably extend radially with respect tothe axis of the bufling wheel in order to minimize the weakening of theseparator plates.

In the operation of the bufiing wheel, when run at high speed, air isdrawn freely through the apertures I4 and I 5 of the hub into theapertures in the hubs of the buifing disks and is thrown therefrom bycentrifugal force into the spaces I'I between the adjacent units of thebuffing wheel. Inasmuch as the gathering of the layers of bufiingmaterial about the hub produces plaits I8 in the buffing material, someof which extend to the periphery of the buiiing wheel and others ofwhich extend in proximity thereto, and the outer layers of buflingmaterial of adjacent disks are separated by the anchoring layers, theprotective layers, and the separator plates, relatively large spaces I!are provided be- I tween the material of the adjacent buffing units attheir inner peripheries, so that air is discharged from the spaces I!through the periphery of the bufling wheel with suflicient rapidity toinsure proper cooling of the bufling wheel when run at any speed, as thecirculation of air naturally increases with the increase of centrifugalforce due to the rapidity with which the buffing wheel is rotated.

In view of the fact that the operator at times presses the work moreforcibly against certain units of the bufling wheel than others, meansdesirably are provided for preventing relative movement between thebufling wheel and the separator plates, so that the alinement of theapertures in the bufling wheel units and the separator plates may bemaintained. To accomplish this purpose the metal separator platesdesirably are provided with means to interengage with the material ofthe hubs of one or more of the buffing units betweenwhichtheyarelocated. A convenient means, which is illustrated in Figs. 4and 5 of the drawing, comprises a plurality of spheroidal distortions I9which may be produced by punching the separator plate from one side toproduce a. spheroidal projection upon the other side which, when thebufling units and separator plates are assembled and forced together bythe nut I3, will embed the projecting spheroidal portions in the hubs ofthe bufiing units. Such projections may be caused to extend either fromone side or both sides of the separator plate. Alternatively, teeth maybe punched from the separator plates in one or both directions to engagethe hubs of adjacent bufiing disks, or the plates may be scored, orotherwise provided with frictional surfaces to engage the hubs of thebufling disk.

Where the buffing wheel is to be rotated at very high speeds, andrequires greater amount of cooling, a plurality of separator plates maybe em-- ployed and placed side by side, as illustrated in Fig. 5,intermediate of the adjacent bufilng units.

In such case the spheroidal projections I9 will nest with each other. Ifthe spheroidally punched portions are the same in both plates, theadjacent faces of the plates will be slightly separated because thespheroidal portions of one plate will not completely fit into thecomplementary cavity of the other, so that the plates will be slightlyseparated and therefore capable of permitting an increased circulationof air from the apertures 8 into the spaces II between adjacent buflingdisks.

By reason therefore of the present invention a ventilated bufling wheelis produced which will provide a suflicient circulation of air betweenthe bumng units to maintain the buffing material sufficiently cool toavoid charring or burning of the bufling material irrespective of thespeed at which the wheel revolves. The separator plates, if of metal,are of such rigid construction and so firmly anchored to the hubs of thebufling units that there is no likelihood of fracture or displacement.Inasmuch as the apertures through which the air enters the bufling unitsare located within the hubs of the units, the wheel may be used until itis worn down practically to the periphery of the clamping heads.

It will be understood that while the separator plates are hereindescribed as preferably steel plates they may be made of any suitablematerial. Relative rotationbetween the bufling wheel units and theseparator plates may be prevented in any desired manner to insure properalinement of the apertures in the bufflng units, with the slots in theseparator plates, the slots in the separator plates may extend in anydesired direction toward the periphery of the wheel. Any suitablematerial may be employed for the bufiing units, whether gatheredas abovedescribed, or

hub and secured thereto, integral disks of rigid material formingseparator plates interposed between adjacent buffing units having slotscommunicating with said alined apertures and extending therefrom throughthe periphery of said separator plates, and means for admitting air tosaid apertures.

2. A ventilated buffing wheel formed of a plurality of assembled bufilngunits having hubs of l rigid material provided with alined apertures, a

plurality of annular layers of bufling material gathered at their inneredges to fit the respective hubs and secured thereupon, therebyproviding outwardly extending plates of bufling material,

integral disks forming separator plates between adjacent bufllng unitsof larger diameter than said hubs and having air passages coincidingwith said alined apertures and establishing communication between saidhub apertures and the spaces between the plates of said butting units,and means for admitting air to said apertures.

3. A ventilated bufling wheel formed of a plurality of assembled buiiingunits having hubs of rigid material provided with alined apertures, aplurality of annular layers of fabric gathered at their inner edgesfitting upon and secured to the respective hubs, solid circular metallicseparator plates interposed between adjacent bufiing units having slotscommunicating with said alined apertures and with the spaces between theouter fabric layers of adjacent bufling units, and clamping plateshaving apertures registering with the apertures in said hubs.

4. A ventilated bufiing wheel formed of a plurality oi assembled bufilngunits having hubs of rigid material providedwith alined apertures, aplurality of annular layers of fabric gathered at their inner edgesfitting upon and secured to the respective hubs, solid circular metallicseparator plates of larger diameter than said hubs interposed betweenadjacent bufling units having slots communicating with said alinedapertures and with the spaces between the outer fabric layers ofadjacent buffing units, and provided with means 5 engaging the materialof said hubs acting to prevent relative movement between the separatorplates and hubs of the lending units, and clamping plates havingapertures registering with the apertures in said hubs..

5. A ventilated bumng wheel formed of a plurality of assembled buiiingunits having hubs of rigid material provided with alined apertures, aplurality of separator plates interposed between each pair of adjacentbufling units provided with registering slots leading radially from saidhub apertures through the periphery of said separator plates,interengaging means upon each pair of separator plates acting to preventrelative movementttherebetween and between separator plates go and thehubs of said bufiing units, and means for admitting air to saidapertures.

6. A ventilated bufllng wheel formed of a plurality of bufiing unitshaving hubs of rigid material provided with alined apertures, flatmetallic separator plates having radial slots communicating with saidapertures and extending through the periphery of said plates, each ofsaid separator plates being provided with small spheroidal deformations,relatively thick solid circular metal clamping plates engaging the facesof the outermost buffing units when placed upon an arbor and providedwith apertures communicating with the apertures in said hubs andoperable when clamped together thereon with the bufling units astherebetween to embed said spheroidal deformations in the material ofthe adjacent bufiing unit hub.

7. A ventilated bufling wheel formed of a plurality of units each havinga hub of rigid 'ma- 4o terial and provided with a plurality of strips oftextile material gathered at their inner edges to fit said hub,anchoringdisks of larger diameter than said hub secured to said strips by a lineof through-and-through stitching, protective disks adhesively secured tosaid anchoring disks, the hubs of said series of units beingprovidedwith alined apertures, solid circular metal separator plates betweenadjacent buffing units having slots communicating with said aperturesand extend- 60 ing through the periphery of said disks, an arbor uponwhich said disks are mounted, metal clamping plates upon said arborhaving apertures registering with the apertures in said hubs, and meansfor forcing said clamping disks toward each other to clamp the assembledbufling units therebetween.

ELISHA WINTHROP HALL.

